Billionaires Worth $1.9 Trillion Seek Advantage in 2013

The richest people on the planet got even richer in 2012, adding $241 billion to their collective net worth, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, a daily ranking of the world’s 100 wealthiest individuals.

The aggregate net worth of the world’s top moguls stood at $1.9 trillion at the market close on Dec. 31, according to the index. Retail and telecommunications fortunes surged about 20 percent on average during the year. Of the 100 people who appeared on the final ranking of 2012, only 16 registered a net loss for the 12-month period.

“Last year was a great one for the world’s billionaires,” said John Catsimatidis, the billionaire owner of Red Apple Group Inc., in an e-mail written poolside on his BlackBerry in the Bahamas. “In 2013, they will continue looking for investments around the world and not necessarily in U.S. -- that will give them an advantage.”

Amancio Ortega, the Spaniard who founded retailer Inditex SA, was the year’s biggest gainer. The 76-year-old tycoon’s fortune increased $22.2 billion to $57.5 billion, according to the index, as shares of Inditex, operator of the Zara clothing chain, rose 66.7 percent.

“It’s an amazing company that has done great and the gains are quite justified given its performance,” said Christodoulos Chaviaras, an analyst at Barclays Plc in London who’s had an “equalweight” rating on Inditex for about a year. “Can they repeat that? It will be harder. A lot of the positive news is already reflected in the share price.”

U.S. software mogul Bill Gates, 57, ranks second on the list, trailing Slim by $12.5 billion. The Microsoft co-founder added $7 billion to his net worth as shares of the Redmond, Washington-based company rose 2.9 percent. Microsoft stock accounts for less than 20 percent of the billionaire’s fortune.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg lost $5.2 billion during the year after the company’s shares fell 30 percent following its May initial public offering. Investors sued Facebook, the operator of the world’s largest social network, after its stock dropped in the wake of what was the largest technology IPO in history. The investors claim the Menlo Park, California-based company failed to disclose discussions it had with underwriters’ analysts about advertising revenue.